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Nothing tests a budding relationship like travel, and the new series Love at First Flight takes it a step further, matching new couples to embark on a romantic (and stressful) journey across North America — with the chance to get married at the airport immediately after their final flight lands.

Meeting for the first time in New York, the couples criss-cross the country towards Los Angeles, as their compatibility is tested not only by the unpredictable pressures of travel, but also by a series of uniquely crafted travel-based challenges. Tune in fo the premiere of Love at First Flight, Tuesday, March 20, 2018 at 10pm ET/PT on Lifetime!

ABOUT STEPHANIE JOHNSON

Stephanie Johnson is the Founder and CEO of Dallas’ Singles & The City – an exclusive member based community for single professionals willing to become the person they seek to attract.

“At Singles & The City, our main tagline is, ‘There is more to being single than dating.’ We are a self empowerment community for single dating professionals mid-twenties to forties. We are a totally different spin off of what the entire world is doing right now.

Everyone is dating, and what not —hooking up. I’m trying to help you get to your bottom line. I partner with a lot of therapists, group counselors; people that can really help you change your mindset and how you see yourself, and why you’re single. And if you don’t want to be single, what are the things that make you unattractive,” Stephanie explains.

After a corporate layoff in 2015 – Stephanie took her then passion of hosting events and turned it into profit, having expanded her company to 5 cities in less than 4 years. Singles & The City has active chapters and hosts’ monthly events in Dallas, Austin, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Detroit.

Although watching her from afar looks seamless, she’s the first to be transparent about being a full-time Entrepreneur. Stephanie nearly lost everything in 2016 – sleeping on friend’s sofas and Lyfting to her own events.

“I was in East Lansing and moved here [to Dallas] in 2010. I worked in corporate, in the restaurant industry. I did telemarketing and I loved my job. I also did concierge work, and then did restaurant work again, but prior to my lay-off I’d started Single & The City like a yeary prior —just as a volunteer, community type thing,” she says.

“I fully did not expect all that happened to happen. And when I got laid off I started going through my savings and everything just kind of hit the fan and that’s how the whole homeless thing started, and that’s when I was like, ‘Ok, it’s time to turn this into an actual company and get some income coming in, so I just kind-of need to bite the bullet and become a professional business owner.’ And that’s how it happened.”

Despite the loss, she managed to open 2 new chapters in Los Angeles and Chicago. When asked about how she determines which cities are picked to hosts Single & The City she explains, “I go where the demand is.”

LOVE AT FIRST FLIGHT

Filming Love At First Flight was an amazing experience and Stephanie is very excited to share her life with the viewers.

What compelled you to tryout for the cast of Love at First Flight?

“Honestly, I was getting a lot of feedback from my members, like, ‘oh my gosh, I met this guy, or this girl, and we’re getting married next week.’ and I’ve been to several weddings already that happened like within six weeks from Singles & The City, and I was like, ‘Am I missing something? What’s going on?’ So, the opportunity came up for the show and, of course, no one ever thinks you’re going to make the cast. So, it was about me getting into the brains of singles I talk to all the time that this has happened to, and then to have the opportunity to be matched by a “professional matchmaker” and possibly meeting the person of your dreams. I was like, ‘at least let me just try.”

Are you a hopeless romantic?

“I actually am a hopeless romantic. I’m always like, ‘maybe he’ll be at Barnes and Noble, or maybe I’ll run into him at Whole Foods —that would be great!”

What were your thoughts when you initially arrived to meet your partner?

“Oh my gosh, initial thoughts —I don’t want to tell you too much, but I was really really excited! I was excited about his ethnicity. He’s very attractive, so I thought, ‘ok! This is going to be good!’ I wanted to at least walk away with a new friend. My expectations were not high. I was not trying to fall in love. I’m like, ‘I’m going to into this with no fear. If I’m traveling, [then] I’m at least going to make a new friend.”

What was your biggest challenge during this experience?

“The biggest challenge during the experience —I would definitely say was just being alone in certain situations and then it being Reality TV on top of that. I’m a very structured person, so to wake up everyday and not know what your day holds. And then you’re going to see me do some stuff that you would never see me do in real life, activity wise. You’ve got kind-of like Amazing Race meets The Bachelor meets —I mean the show is just crazy awesome! But, there are so many different activities that you have to do with your partner. You have to trust them to get it done so, for me, not being in control was like, ‘Oh My God— I’m [gonn]a do this today!”

What did you learn about yourself during this experience?

“I learned that I’m a lot more open than I thought and I shocked myself at how open I was, at love, and at trusting other people, and at, just kind-of, not being in control. So, I was like, ‘look at me, growing!’ It was great! I’m much more self aware —it was just a beautiful process.”

How much can you really learn about a person on a travel adventure?

“That’s a good question, but I think the entire point was learning [that] for one, you can learn so much about someone when you’re back to back all the time. And then I would say that after 3 or 4 days of seeing someone 24 hours a day it’s like, ‘ok, I don’t have time to keep wearing makeup.’ You know what I’m saying —at some point you start to let your guard down and really be your true-true self and I think that the situation is what possibly made that happen a little faster. It’s like, ‘ok, today, you’re not getting lashes or heels. I just don’t care and I saw you yesterday, and I know you’re not going anywhere.’ So I mean, honestly, I learned a lot. I learned a lot really fast and it was good. It’s just an interesting way to date, you know —real interesting.”

Do You Believe That Is Possible To Find True Love At First Flight?

“I do believe it’s possible to find Love At First Flight, absolutely! Absolutely —I think you guys are going to love me and my partner and, you’ll be real excited to see the outcome for sure!

Tune in and find out how this local entrepreneur made the best out of uncertain situations and maybe even found the love of her life…all while traveling North America with a stranger.

Love at First Flight is produced by Pilgrim Media Group. Craig Pilgrim and Mike Nichols serve as executive producers for Pilgrim. Gena McCarthy executive produces for Lifetime. Pictures and video clips curtesy of Lifetime.

Some of us love fashion, others not so much. Whether you love it or not, we all have a sense of style, so why not own it -wholeheartedly, flaunt and share it with the world? Show Me How You Rock It is my fashion segment within the blog, and I want to hear from YOU! How do YOU rock YOUR STYLE? The terms are simple…just be YOU. Don’t over think it, Just show me how YOU rock it!

Show Me How You Rock is back with another Little Black Dress! This week we’ll be exploring a more casually styled LBD. So…

Share a little about your personality and over all Style.

I have a cheerful disposition, for the most part. I love to laugh, and the word quirky fits me well. My overall style is Rocker Chic, lace and leather are my thing! But, I’m also known to switch lanes and rock Black owned/All black er’thang ethnic fashion. My goal is to always stand out when I walk into room and leave people saying, “Who is that? I like her style!”

What inspires you about this (lil black dress) look?

I was headed out for a casual day with a friend and wanted to be cute, fashionable and comfortable. I’m almost forty, and at my age comfort is always key! I found this all black body con dress on sale ASOS a few years ago. I’m still working on body image issues, but I knew it’d be a good investment. For the outting with my friend, I opted for an eclectic “street” look. I wanted to give off a New York vibe, Brooklyn to be exact. The vibrant colors and street style of this look inspired me.

How do you feel when you’re rocking this (lil black dress) look?

Overall, the look made me feel cute and energetic. My head wrap provided an array of vibrant colors. The dress and the stockings provided and element of sex appeal. I didn’t want to be too dressy, so I played the look down with wooden earrings and a rugged pair of booties. I added a splash of sass by applying minimal makeup with a pop of color on the lips.

The screening of the inspiring story of the greatest pre-high school aged basketball player ever was an enormous success thanks to panelists Schea Cotton, Grammy nominated rapper Problem, and former NBA players Casey Jacobsen and James Cotton, w/ moderator WNBA’s Cappie Pondexter!

(Los Angeles – California) – ​On Monday February 12th​, Manchild: The Schea Cotton Story, ​touched the hearts of hundreds at Raleigh Studios in Hollywood. ​Manchild ​tells the story of now retired ball player, ​Schea Cotton,​ who was once regarded as the greatest pre-high school aged player ever, even better than LeBron James.

Thanks to celebrity VIP guests and an all star panelists including ​Casey Jacobsen and James Cotton​, this story of ​faith, integrity, and resilience​ e​mpowered the audience through mentoring, education & sports!

Amongst the screening of the film itself, star of the documentary and ​founder and CEO of the Manchild Elite Corp.​, shined light on his amazing organization dedicated to empowering youth through education, basketball, and leadership. In service of the nonprofit’s mission, Schea brought over a dozen of young men to the screening where they got a firsthand look at the inspiring story!

To support and donate to the ​Manchild Elite Corp​ please visit Manchild Elite Donation HERE.

Some of us love fashion, others not so much. Whether you love it or not, we all have a sense of style, so why not own it -wholeheartedly, flaunt and share it with the world? Show Me How You Rock It is my fashion segment within the blog, and I want to hear from YOU! How do YOU rock YOUR STYLE? The terms are simple…just be YOU. Don’t over think it, Just show me how YOU rock it!

Capes are a cozy and comfy alternative to coats, and sometimes jackets or blazers. Add class to any outfit with a cape or poncho. On this Fashion Friday, we’ll be seeing a cape look! So…

show me how you rock your Cape Ms. Reiko @Godsfaveshoes from houston, Tx!

Here’s how I am still rocking the cape look.

PC: @godsfaveshoes

I’m not ready to let the trend go just yet.

PC: @godsfaveshoes

It’s still great for layering especially in Houston’s indecisive weather.

Some of us love fashion, others not so much. Whether you love it or not, we all have a sense of style, so why not own it -wholeheartedly, flaunt and share it with the world? Show Me How You Rock It is my fashion segment within the blog, and I want to hear from YOU! How do YOU rock YOUR STYLE? The terms are simple…just be YOU. Don’t over think it, Just show me how YOU rock it!

Little black dresses are never out of season or out of style. The second installment in this series is a glammed up little black dress look.

Share a little about your personality and over all Style.

I am a laid back type of girl that really enjoys hanging out with family and friends. I love celebrating the success of my peers and I’m very nurturing. My style is somewhere between classic, relaxed and expressive. I really enjoy being comfortable and cute but I also like to play around with prints and colors as well. When it comes to attending events I always resort to a classic style. I like to switch it up from time to time and keep it fun.

What inspires you about this (lil black dress) look?

This look is inspired by my love for holiday looks. I like sequin and I think it adds just enough flare to spruce up a look for any occasion. Whether it be for date night or a company party.

Some of us love fashion, others not so much. Whether you love it or not, we all have a sense of style, so why not own it -wholeheartedly, flaunt and share it with the world? Show Me How You Rock It is my fashion segment within the blog, and I want to hear from YOU! How do YOU rock YOUR STYLE? The terms are simple…just be YOU. Don’t over think it, girl! Just show me how YOU rock it!

Kicking this thing off is the most popular item that every girl should have, the little black dress.

Share a little about your personality and overall personal style.

I’ve never thought about putting my personal style into words. I rarely am ever on trend but I may throw in a few pieces here or there to make a statement. I frequent thrift stores and clearance racks, if I like it I buy it and make it work.

What inspires you about this look?

I’m inspired by the quirkiness of my little black dress look. It has sequin embellishments all the way down and across the front of the dress and double shoulder pads, it screams 80’s prom queen and I love that about it.

How do you feel when you’re rocking this little black dress?

When I first tried this dress on I was a little weary, I even posted a poll on my insta-stories asking what everyone else thought about it. Not to my surprise no one liked it…but I still bought it. Once i saw the way it hugged my curves in all the right places, it had to come home with me. I was actually shopping for a Halloween costume and came across this. I had no particular place to wear it but ended up wearing it to my company Christmas party. I felt confident, and cute. The dress is pretty conservative but it’s length and figure forming nature made me feel sexy. I received tons of compliments which boosted by confidence even more. I feel FIERCE in this dress.

This annual event, hosted by Shar Jackson, Cherie Johnson, VH1’s Kat Tat, Amina Buddafly and more, will also feature special performance by Mathew Knowles’ group “Blush” and “That 3”

Celebrity event director Helecia Choyce will kick off All Star weekend with her 5th annual​ “Girlfriends & Champagne!” ​The star studded event is set to take place on February 16th from 3-8pm at Castaway: ​1250 East Harvard St. Burbank, CA